Opioid Settlement Funds Grants Available

Des Moines, IA- Applications are now open for opioid settlement funds grants for Polk County organizations that support people with lived experience of substance use. Polk County will receive over $17 million to address the harms of opioid use in the community through prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery initiatives. The funding is made available as a result of a national litigation settlement with pharmaceutical and related companies. 

Polk County’s vision for opioid settlement funds is to invest in high-need areas with  a focus on people with lived experience in a transparent, intentional, and sustainable manner. Gabbie Ruggiero, Polk County's Opioid Settlement Program Planner, says, "It is critical for governments to prioritize, and involve, people that have been harmed by the opioid and addiction epidemic in decisions about how the settlement funding is utilized. This will include people that are actively using substances, in treatment, and in recovery. These one-time funds are an opportunity to jump-start programs that fill service gaps in Polk County and ultimately improve and save lives."  

Grant applications and the strategic plan for Polk County's opioid settlement funds can be found on the Polk County Behavioral Health & Disability Services website.